Introduction

The vocalist sings the same words in different Swars or patterns of Swars, as allowed by the Raag framework. This is analogous to taking pictures of an object from various angles or viewpoints. For example, a photographer may take pictures of the Sun at various times of the day from various spots with different levels of exposure. The object of each picture is the same but the discerning eye will notice the differences between two pictures.

After singing the Alap, the vocalist sings a composition in a slow tempo or medium tempo followed by another composition in a faster tempo. If only one composition is to be presented, the vocalist will first sing in a slower tempo and then after making one pass through the composition, he or she will speed up and sing the same composition at a faster tempo.

The percussionist, normally the Tabla player, provides the rhythm for the performance. The rhythm shows the speed or the tempo of the composition being sung.

A Harmonium player follows the vocalist like a shadow and delivers the same Swars, i.e. notes or patterns of Swars or notes that the vocalist sings. Sometimes instead of or in addition to a Harmonium player there is a Violin or a Sarangi player. They perform the same role as the Harmonium player.

That depends upon several factors. Hindustani music recommends certain Raags based on the time of the day. Typically the artist will start with a Raag that is suitable for the time of the day or evening. Exactly which Raag will be depends upon the mood of the artist, the artist’s perception about the audience, etc.